Introduction

Exams are a stressful, but unavoidable, element of college life. (credit “left”: modification of work by Travis K. Mendoza; credit “center”: modification of work by “albertogp123”/Flickr; credit “right”: modification of work by Jeffrey Pioquinto, SJ)

Few would deny that today’s college students are under a lot of pressure. In addition to many usual stresses and strains incidental to the college experience (e.g., exams, term papers, and the dreaded freshman 15), students today are faced with increased college tuitions, burdensome debt, and difficulty finding employment after graduation. A significant population of non-traditional college students may face additional stressors, such as raising children or holding down a full-time job while working toward a degree.

Of course, life is filled with many additional challenges beyond those incurred in college or the workplace. We might have concerns with financial security, difficulties with friends or neighbors, family responsibilities, and we may not have enough time to do the things we want to do. Even minor hassles—losing things, traffic jams, and loss of internet service—all involve pressure and demands that can make life seem like a struggle and that can compromise our sense of well-being. That is, all can be stressful in some way.

Scientific interest in stress, including how we adapt and cope, has been longstanding in psychology; indeed, after nearly a century of research on the topic, much has been learned and many insights have been developed. This chapter examines stress and highlights our current understanding of the phenomenon, including its psychological and physiological natures, its causes and consequences, and the steps we can take to master stress rather than become its victim.

American Heart Association. (2014, February 24). Depression as a risk factor for poor prognosis among patients with acute coronary syndrome: Systematic review and recommendations: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. Retrieved from http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2014/02/24/CIR.0000000000000019.full.pdf+html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2006). You can control your asthma: A guide to understanding asthma and its triggers. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/pdfs/asthma_brochure.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2013a). Asthma’s impact on the nation: Data from the CDC National Asthma Control Program. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/impacts_nation/AsthmaFactSheet.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2013b). Breathing easier. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/pdfs/breathing_easier_brochure.pdf

Chida, Y., & Steptoe, A. (2009). The association of anger and hostility with future coronary heart disease: A meta-analytic review or prospective evidence. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 53, 936–946.

Cohen, S., & Janicki-Deverts, D. (2012). Who’s stressed? Distributions of psychological stress in the United States in probability samples in 1993, 2006, and 2009. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42, 1320–1334.

Gregoire, C. (2013, June 5). Happiness index: Only 1 in 3 Americans are very happy, according to Harris Poll. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/01/happiness-index-only-1-in_n_3354524.html

Hatch, S. L., & Dohrenwend, B. P. (2007). Distribution of traumatic and other stressful life events by race/ethnicity, gender, SES, and age: A review of the research. American Journal of Community Psychology, 40, 313–332.

Krumboltz, M. (2014, February 18). Just like us? Elephants comfort each other when they’re stressed out. Yahoo News. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/elephants-know-a-thing-or-two-about-empathy-202224477.html

Lachman, M. E., & Weaver, S. L. (1998). The sense of control as a moderator of social class differences in health and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 763–773.

Uchino, B. N. (2009). Understanding the links between social support and physical health: A life-span perspective with emphasis on the separability of perceived and received support. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4, 236–255.